


Happy to Be

by Megatraven



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, mari and adrien are cuddle buddies, marinette is tired, naps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-16 19:35:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9286874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megatraven/pseuds/Megatraven
Summary: This is my secret santa gift to @slowdragon25! Sorry you had to wait so long, but I hope you enjoy it! ^^Summary: Adrien and a sleepy Marinette think about how far they’ve come as they and their relationship continue to change.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Slowdragon25](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Slowdragon25).



“...inette? Marinette!” a voice called, snapping the girl awake. She sat up quickly, suddenly alert, and looked around until her eyes landed on the one who had called for her. Her heart fluttered to see Adrien giving her a concerned look, and despite her best efforts, she couldn’t stop herself from blushing just a tiny bit.

Really, she tried to get over her feelings for Adrien. He never seemed to return them, and if Marinette were to be honest, he’d become quite the open book when it came to his emotions. As such, Marinette could tell when he was happy, sad, lonely, angry, confused, and, on the not-so-rare occasion that Ladybug was mentioned, in love. He had certainly never looked at her the way he did Ladybug. And yet, though she thought it was fruitless, her heart continued to skip a beat everytime she saw him.

He said her name again, and she realized she’d gotten lost in her thoughts. Trying to focus, she gave her head a little shake and yawned before responding, “Yeah? What’s up?” Even though it’s been gone for awhile, she was still proud to have rid herself of the embarrassing stutter she had developed solely around Adrien.

“You, uh… how late did you stay up last night, Mar? You’ve been zoned out all morning, including right now.”

“If you’re counting until I fell asleep before class started… then I was up until class started.”

Giving her a disapproving look, he sighed and stood up, gesturing for her to do the same. “C’mon, it’s lunch and we’re gonna go nap in your room.” He said it without even asking to come to her home, and she realized how comfortable he had grown around her and the others. He knew he was always welcome in the bakery, and as she had become better friends with him, they developed a relationship that made the other feel at ease enough to declare things like napping together or doing the other’s hair. She almost didn’t realize he started talking again, and had to force herself to focus on what he said. “Nino and Alya are on a quick date, Chlo’s going shopping, and Lila’s running an errand for her dad, so it’s just you and I. Nathalie packed me those protein shake packets you like for some reason. Personally, I think they’re gross, but not everyone can have as complex a pallet as I have.”

Marinette snorted, and he gave her an affronted look. “Adrien, I have seen you eat a plate of cookies that fell on the floor because you were going to cry if we threw them away. You just don’t like the protein shakes because you’ve had them too often.”

“Mari, trust me on this. They are super gross,” he said in a serious tone. His body language gave him away though, because he was shaking from the laughter he was trying to hold in.

“Know what else is super gross?” she asked. When he shrugged, she continued, “Us still being inside of the school when we could be walking back to my place for naps.”

A grin stretched over Adrien’s face, and after sweeping a bow to Marinette as she walked out the door, he said, “As my princess demands, we shall travel to the finest bakery in all the lands. If she so wishes, we can ride in the most comfortable seats, or walk down the paths paved with the hopes someone of my princess’s stature would someday take pity and step upon them.”

With a roll of her eyes, and with a tired smile, Marinette shoved at Adrien’s shoulder. She was far too used to his antics by now, and although her cheeks grew pink, she knew he was joking around. She made one comment about Chat Noir calling her ‘Princess’ _one_ time, and suddenly everyone was calling her it. It just so happened that Adrien grew too fond of the nickname, and used it at every opportunity he could. The fact that he said she was his princess did not go unnoticed by anyone, but Marinette never made comment on it. “You dork. Walking is fine, but I can’t guarantee you won’t end up carrying me part of the way. I’m about ready to fall asleep standing.”

“Then we’ll be on our way!” he proclaimed, skipping out in front of her, a definite spring in his step. “Kinda sucks the bakery isn’t right next door now, huh?”

“Yeah, but it’s also nice. I enjoy the walk and being able to go elsewhere for lunch. Don’t get me wrong, Maman and Papa are great cooks, but I like mixing it up every once in awhile. You know, like you should have done with the protein shakes,” she said with a smirk.

“Marinette! I thought we were on the same si- woah, watch out there!” he exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders and steering her away from the trash can she was about to run into. She yawned again, and he sighed. “Alright, I don’t think you’ll make it to your place like this,” he said, and kneeled down. “A princess shouldn’t dirty her shoes anyways, so c’mon, I’ll give you a ride.”

“Slow down there, Sunshine, I can walk. I was just distracted by our _riveting_ conversation,” she said, voice dry and dripping with sarcasm towards the end. Adrien smiled and shook his head at her, and when she wouldn’t get on his back, he took the matter into his own hands by scooping her into his arms. She squealed at suddenly being lifted into the air, and slapped his chest as she told him to let her down.

“Sorry, no can do, my princess. If I let you have your way, you’ll sleepwalk into the street or walk right off a bridge and into the river! What kind of prince would I be if I didn’t see you home safely for our more-than-weekly nap?”

Marinette stuck her tongue out at him, but stopped struggling to get down. She didn’t really have the energy to fight back, and really, being in Adrien’s arms wasn’t so bad. _Okay,_ she thought, _it’s not bad at all, it’s actually really, really nice. Not that I would ever tell him that._

Adrien tilted his head in confusion. “Never tell who what?”

He was looking down at her, and she scowled a bit. If she weren’t so tired, then she probably wouldn’t have accidentally spoken. “Nothing to nobody,” she stated, avoiding eye contact. It wasn’t that hard to do, considering her eyelids were drooping and she could barely hold her head up to look at Adrien.

He eyed her for a moment before dropping the matter. He repositioned her in his arms slightly before speaking again, changing the subject completely. He always knew when she didn’t want to talk about or share something, which she was incredibly thankful for. “Hey, do you remember when we first met? You didn’t even want to talk to me, but look how far we’ve come! We take naps, we’re all touchy and clingy-”

“ _You’re_ touchy and clingy.”

“Shut up, no I’m not. Your hand is literally on my chest right now, and whilst I do not mind, you cannot possibly say you’re not touchy when I’ve caught you in the act,” he said smugly. Marinette quickly dropped her hand, face heating up. “ _Anyways_ , we like, go out all the time, and you actually like talking to me. I have to admit, that last bit is my favorite.” He smiled down at her, and she could practically feel the tension in her body melt away as she returned it with one of her own.

While he carried her along, he continued to chat about whatever came to mind, and Marinette’s responses became slow, short, and just a tiny bit slurred from sleep. Eventually, they stopped all together, and Adrien was left with her snoring softly in his arms. The soft gaze he gave her while she snoozed was one he tried not to let her see. Because, unlike how easy it was for Marinette to read him, Marinette was… complex. She was so bursting with emotion that sometimes it was hard to tell just what she was feeling, probably because there was no way to pinpoint a single emotion when so many passed over her at once. He wasn’t sure how she felt about him, and she’d never disclosed to him who she liked. Alya and Nino refused to tell him, saying it was Marinette’s business, and he respected that. Still, that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. And it most certainly didn’t mean that he couldn’t wish that _he_ was her crush.

Making sure he wouldn’t be jostling her too much, he walked carefully and quickly until he arrived at the Dupain-Cheng’s bakery. When he passed by their old school, he slowed a fraction, remembering the moment Marinette had forgiven him, the moment he’d finally made a real friend. He remembered the way the rain pounded down and how the sound of it almost disappeared when Marinette had reached for his umbrella. But, most of all, he remembered how she was the one that managed to make him laugh, really and truly laugh, for the first time since his mother had gone. He didn’t realized his pace has slowed to a halt, lost as he was in the memories that took place in that very same area.

There was the day he ran out of class to keep others from seeing his tears, and Marinette had run out to comfort him because she knew something was wrong. There was the time they, Nino, and Alya sat on the steps eating croissants and macarons, laughing at everything and nothing. There was the moment when Chloe had stood out there, yelling until she broke down in apologies, expecting rejection but receiving Marinette’s kindness instead. And, he remembered fondly, there was the last day of collège, when hugs were exchanged and everyone parted their ways, but with the promise to keep in contact. He’d been very afraid of losing his friends, but Marinette had managed to assure him by calling him as soon as he stepped into the car that had come for him.

It was with a sigh that Adrien’s memories faded into the present, and with them, his feet started to move again. They carried him to the side entrance of their home, one they’d given him his very own key to, and he opened the door like it was second nature to him. He was halfway up the stairs when he turned around and popped his head into the kitchen.

“We’re home!” he called out, feeling the rightness of calling their house what he did. When Tom and Sabine called back their hellos and love, he closed the door and headed up the two sets of stairs and into Marinette’s room. He adjusted her carefully as he climbed up to her bed, settling her down with the utmost care. He brushed the hair from her face and pulled a blanket over her before sighing contentedly and laying back.

Taking in her room always left him feeling nostalgic, proud of his friend, and a little sad. The nostalgia came from her pink walls and the way her sewing supplies were strewn about. The pride came from seeing how much she’d grown as a person just by looking at what’s changed over the years. And the sadness came from knowing that, one day, he would no longer be running over after school to take naps and lose against her in Mecha Strike. He’d meant what he said early, when he called out to his parents that they were home. Marinette’s room was so lived in, and it was filled with everything that made it hers, as well as a few touches that made it theirs- hers, Alya’s, Nino’s, and his. There were a bunch of news articles written by Alya plastered over the walls, a steady stream of Nino’s newest mixes emanating from her computer as well as stacks of CDs he’d lent her piled on her desk, and there were silly things decorating a lot of the spaces in her room that Adrien had bought, claiming they all reminded him of her. He almost missed it, but his gaze landed on beanie he had tried to make for her. He wasn’t skilled in knitting or crocheting, but he had tried his best and poured his heart into making it for her. While he knew Marinette wasn’t cruel and loved the effort he put in for her, he’d honestly expected her to throw it away after a year or so. It warmed his heart to know she’d kept it, and he couldn’t help the affection for her that bubbled to the surface.

As his eyes continued to sweep across her room, they landed on her wall of photos. Some were taken of benches or trees or gates, and some were blurry with the people in them laughing or blocking their faces. He recognized ones that he had taken and sent to her, his heart beating rapidly as his smile grew. There were pictures of all of them as a group, when they hung out casually or when he’d invited them all to a charity gala his father had hosted and they were all dressed formally. Selfies could also be found among the pictures, and he noted with pleasure that many of them were of her and him, faces squished together or their limbs tangled in a silly way. He could see the pink of her cheeks, even from her bed, as well as the humor that shone in her eyes and the love that radiated from her expressions and body language. He loved those pictures.

His favorite ones, though, were the candid pictures Marinette herself had taken. They weren’t all happy ones, but they were little windows into very real moments of her friends’ lives. His two favorites in particular were ones of him. One he could recognize was from the end of his first year of school, where he sat in the park and thought about everything. In it, he looked sad and lonely. He remembered Marinette had approached him and made him feel not so alone. She must have taken the picture first. In his other favorite, he sat in the same spot, laughing with a lot of their classmates and friends over the years. He recalls it was from just a few weeks ago, and that Marinette had come late. She’d seen how much everything had changed, he supposed, and wanted to capture the moment. To see how he’d grown out of his shell and into the person and friend he wanted to be brought tears to his eyes, and he did nothing to stop them from falling like he might have back when the first picture was taken.

Marinette moved a tiny bit, but he paid the movement no mind. It wasn’t until he felt her fingers wipe away a tear that had slid to his chin that he realized she was awake. He turned to her, beaming at the sleepy girl who smiled back at him just as dazzlingly.

“You okay?” she whispered, adjusting the blanket to cover him as well.

“Yeah, I’m just thinking about everything. The pictures on your wall, the ways your room’s changed since I first came over. Hanging out as a group, learning how to open up. Our friends. Me, you... us.”

She blinked up at him, her brows furrowing a tiny bit. He watched her as her expression changed from sleepy confusion to very awake wonder.

“Hey, Adrien?”

“Yes, my princess?”

“Do you know how you look when we talk about Ladybug?” she asked, searching his face.

He flushed and looked away guiltily. “Um… I’ve never seen it, but you guys have teased me and tried to describe so… sort of?”

“You, um… I woke up while you were looking around. While you looked, it kind of looked like, maybe, you had the same look of affection on your face? Your eyes were so warm and your smile was so tender, and I just… can I ask why?”

Adrien took a deep breath, and looked around the room once more before settling on her. He almost wanted to lie, despite the fact he knew she hated lies. He didn’t want to tell her how he felt, or that he felt to be in love with both her and Ladybug. He didn’t want to make them awkward. But, looking at her just then, he knew he couldn’t keep the truth from her any longer.

“The reason is… the reason is because you… you make me feel like I’m the world when all I’ve ever thought to be was a face for the rest of the world to look at. You taught me what a home really is, and how to find one for myself. You touched my life for a moment and it started to get better. You made me laugh when I didn’t think I ever could again, and you left with me a warmth that has spread to every inch of my being from the first time your fingers brushed mine when I gave you that malfunctioning umbrella. I looked that way because I am so completely in love with your kindness and understanding and stubbornness and confidence, so completely in love with _you_.” His heart and soul poured into what he spoke, and while he was afraid of what possible repercussions there may be, he felt like he finally made the right choice.

Marinette was silent for a minute, and then two before she managed to say, “You wanted to know the person I liked, yeah?”

“I… yes. Yes I did,” he said. His voice shook a tiny bit, but by the look on his face, she could see the hesitant confidence that filled him. Confidence, she had decided long ago, looked very nice on him.

“It was you- _is_ you. You’re kind of an open book, but you never looked at me like… you know. And I didn’t want you to feel burdened or make things awkward by confessing. I was really, very content with being your friend-”

“Best friend,” he interrupted.

She chuckled and amended her statement. “ _Best_ friend. But there’s always been the argument of whether content was happy and if happy was content, and I guess what I’m trying to say is… right now, after hearing what you’ve said, being content is nowhere close to the joy that can come of risks and changes. And, um, I want you to know that ‘like’ is a very large understatement in regards to how I feel about you.”

He shook with laughter at that, and when she started to laugh too, he pulled her into a hug. His heart did a flip when she hugged him back.

When they finally parted from the hug, neither could stop the goofy smiles from their faces, and soon Adrien pulled his phone out to take a picture of them both.

Taking a look at the photo, Marinette said, “Can you send that to me? I’d really like for it to go on the wall… and for it to be my phone’s background, if that’s okay?”

“It’s more than okay, Mari,” he told her. Aside from her own confession to him, hearing that she’d like to put the photo he took of them together up on her wall was the greatest thing to hear.

He hoped they’d be taking many more in the future. In _their_ future.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [What we seek](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11312760) by [dragonesdepapel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonesdepapel/pseuds/dragonesdepapel)




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